Vessel-propelling means



- Marh19,1929l l s ECHAPMN 1,705,807

'l VESSEL PROPELLING MEANS Filed May 20, 1927 lill/111111,11

unire SAMUEL E. CHAPMAN, OF LOS'ANGELESfCALIFRNIA.

vvnssuiz-rnoriinmne, ivrnAns. i

Appiiann ined May 20,1927. serial iioisasss.

My invention rclatosto a vessel propelling n'ieans and has forits principal'object the provision of a relatively simple, inexpensive and highly eli'icient means in the nature of a paddlewheel that is disposed in the central portion-of Aa vessel and which paddle wheel is operated by a motor of considerable weight and which is arranged for operation on a track and the latter being dis posed on the inner periphery of the 'paddle wheel. Y

A further object of my invention is to construct the hull of the vessel so that the paddle wheel isprotectcd against waves and currents that may strike against the sides-l of the hull of heV vessel and, further, to form said hull in two parts that are spaced apart to form a centrally arranged channel, the propellor or paddle wheel being arranged within said channel, where it may operate to the best advantage in the propel.- ling of the vessel.

FV ith the foregoing and other objects fin view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a vessel of my improved construction.

F 2 is a side elevational view of the vessel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3*3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectiontalen on the line 4l-fl of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10, 10 designate twin hulls that are spaced apart to form a centrally arranged longitudinal space or channel 11 and the ends of the twin hulls are rigidly connected by means ofV transversely arranged metal plates 12,*whicli plates are hor izontally disposed so as to offer minimum resistance to air and water during the forward or backward movement of the vessel. Supported by the central portions of the hulls 10 and arranged over the central portion of the space or channel 11, is a housing 13, preferably formed of sheet metal and at the sides thereof are bearings 14 for a large shaft 15 and the latter being provided with an axially disposed bore. or passage 16 that extends from one end of said shaft to a point near the center thereof.

Sui'tably mountedon tli'issliaft or vaxle l 15, 1s va' paddle wheel comprising circular sider plates 17 between which is arranged a 'concentric circular wall 18, the diameter of which is somewhat'less than the diameter of the plates'l? so that said wall occupies a position a short distance inwardly from the edges of the side plates and secured to said circular Vwall 18 and extending outwardly to the edges of side plates 17, are radially dis-- 'posed vplates 19 that function as paddles.

-The size of the paddle wheel just de-l scribed is such that the lower portion of said wheel extends downwardly a substantial distance into the space or channel 11 between the hulls 10 and thus the. lower portion of said paddle wheel extends below the surfaceof the water.

Arranged on the inner face ofthe circular wall 18, are rails 2O that constitute a track forl the wheels 21 of a motor car 22, the latter having cons iderable weight as compared to the weight of the paddle wheel. Arranged within the car 22 is an electric motor 23 and a suitable train of gearing 24 is arranged between said motor and the axles that ca rry wheels 21.

Carried by one of the hulls 10,- is a suitable source of'electrical energy, preferably generator 25, and leading therefrom through the axial bore 16 to a pair of contact rings 26 that are mounted upon the axle 15 within the paddle wheel, are conductors 27. The contact rings 26 are insulated from the axle 15 and bearing on the surfaces of said rings, is the Wheel of a trolley 28 that is mounted on car 22 and said trolley carrying electrical connections to the inotor 23.

nstead of utilizingan electric motor as herein described for driving thc paddle wheel, the motor car 22 may carry an internal combustion engine and the same having driving connections with the wheels of said motor car.

In the operation of my improved vessel, electric current from the generator 25 passes through conductors 27 to the rings 26 and from said rings, the current passes through trolley 28 to the motor 23 and the driving. gear 24 transmits rotary motion from the motor shaft to the axles of the motor car. As the car is thus driven, it will move upon the track railsk20 in one direction or the other beyond a vertical line drawn through the center of the axis of rotation of the paddle wheel, which is the shaft or axle 15, and as the weight of the motor car is thus transferred to one side of the center of the wheel7 the latter' will be rotated and the paddles in the peripheral portion of said wheel will impinge upon the water in the` central portion ot space or channel l1 and consequently drive the vessel forwardly or backwardly, dependingl of course upon the direction in which the paddle wheel is rotating.

My improved vessel may be steered in any suitable manner, but l prefer to use an ordinary rudder snch as 29 that is mounted in suitable bearings at the stern oie the vessel.

It' desired, a suitable superstructure, including cabins, may be built on top of the hulls around the paddle wheel housing' 13.

By forming the hull oit the vessel in two parts and spacing said parts a suitable distance trom each other7 a centrally arranged space or channel is formed through which water may pass as the vessel is driven forward and that space between the hulls is occupied by the lower portion of the paddle wheel and thus the latter is protected against waves and currents that may strike against the outer faces of the two parts of the hull. This improved arrangement ot hulls and the paddle'wheel insures greater stability to the body of the vessel and the same may be readily handled and operated in rough water.

lt will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved vessel propelling means may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope o'l`: which is setvlorth in the appended claim.

l claim as my invention:

In a vessel, al pair of hulls spaced apart throughout their lengths to provide an intermediate longitudinally disposed channel, a housing` mounted on the intermediate portion of said hulls and overlying the central portion of said channel, a paddle wheel mounted in bearings on said hulls and arranged within said housing, the lower por tion ot wl'iicli paddle wheel extends downwardly into said channel7 circular tracks arranged on the interior of said paddle wheel, an electric motor vdriven car mounted for operation on said tracks, and electric connections Jfrom a suitable source of supply to the electric motor carried by sail truck, a portion of which electric connections passes axially thru the shaft that carries said paddle wheel.

ln testimony whereof l ture.

at'fix my signa- SAMUEL E. CHAPMAN. 

